Posters opposing Bakerloo extension gets short shrift from Old Kent Road residents
By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter
Mysterious posters have appeared in a street opposing the Bakerloo line extension and claiming the project will price out local people.
But they don’t seem to strike a chord with residents – who have broadly been enthusiastic about the prospect of being linked to the Tube network.
The flyers against the planned lengthening of the London Underground line south east from Elephant and Castle towards Lewisham were stuck up around the Old Kent Road earlier this week.
The posters, which aren’t attributed to any organisation, call on people to ‘derail the trainline extensions’ and accuse Transport for London (TfL) and local councils of ‘preparing the way for the biggest ever wave of property speculation’.
New stations would be created at the Old Kent Road, as well as at Burgess Park, New Cross Gate and Lewisham under the £1bn TfL project, which could get funding as early as the spring.
When shown the flyers on Thursday, Old Kent Road residents seemed unimpressed — with not a single person approached expressing opposition to the Tube line extension.
Natasha Jones, 53, said: “I think [the project] will be good for the area because it will be bringing money, jobs and events.
“It will also make it easier for people needing to move across London. I think with all the building work going on, the area needs better transport. The buses are not terrible. But sometimes at peak times around 5pm and 7am and 8am it’s hard to get on to a bus because they’re almost full.
“Yes it [the extension] will push up prices. But this is a sought-after area even without the Underground, and prices are already high.”
Mum Fatima Sesay said: “I think [the Bakerloo line extension] is great because it will mean easier transport links. It can feel quite isolated here. I got rid of my car because of ULEZ and I rely on public transport. On a selfish level, it would reduce my commute by about 20 minutes or so.”
The 40-year-old added that the regeneration of South East London had been in motion for over a decade and better public transport couldn’t be blamed for increasing rent and house prices.
She continued: “Let’s look at the bigger picture here: the trains aren’t responsible for the prices going up. That started ages ago.”
Abdul Hassan, 34, added: “I think it [the extension] would be good for this area. The buses are okay because we are close to Elephant and Castle but from Elephant to New Cross there’s no stations. It does not make sense for people to be driving around and I say that as someone who has a car.
“I have lived here for 20 years now and we’ve not had any improvements in our transport and the price of housing has still increased.”
The flyers, which are printed with a map of some of the proposed new Tube stations and upcoming developments along the Old Kent Road, invite residents to a meeting this evening at an unspecified location in Deptford.
A phone number and URL are provided where it is indicated readers can find the address. But the posters warn political groups, activists and journalists that they are not invited to the meeting.
In a joint statement, Lewisham and Southwark councils said: “We’ve been campaigning for the Bakerloo line upgrade and extension for many years and it is obvious the clear benefits not just for Lewisham, Southwark, and London, but for the whole country.
“The Bakerloo line is vital for London’s continued growth. Locally it would slash journey times, [for the] least well-connected parts of South-east London. It would create 9,700 new jobs and unlock 20,400 new homes, generating a £1.5bn boost to the economy, as well as make our capital city greener and more sustainable.
“When TfL held a formal consultation on the proposals in 2019, 89 per cent of people favoured the extension – TfL’s biggest majority in favour of any proposal ever.”
TfL has been contacted for comment.
Pictured top: One of the flyers on display this week (Picture: LDRS/Robert Firth)
